Preparing for the Holidays

So the kids have begun to count down the days until Christmas and we pulled out our decorations yesterday. I had a complete fit (this was a total inside fit - the kind where your husband knows something is wrong and asks but you say nothing sort of fit.) I was upset because decorating just really sucks when you live in a 2 x 4. It gets all cluttered and there isn't anywhere to put anything and we hardly have any decorations anyway. But then I sucked it up because at least we have a warm home with lots of love. I really shouldn't complain about such things. I've just had this dream about some day having a fireplace and above it I could display my Christmas village and put up garland and have a big giant tree in my living room. As it is now, a tree doesn't fit and we have to borrow land from the upstairs neighbors. See why I didn't tell my husband about the internal fit I was having? We did our decorating and Drew and Jason put up the lights and then we got ready for the Thanksgiving party at Melanies house. We had such a great time. It was packed full of all of Melanies friends so they all happened to be nurses in the chemo unit. I should have been a nurse. I feel so at home with all of them and really had a teriffic time. The food was amazing and abundant. I didn't gorge myself though. The kids had the entire basement to play and there was games and a train table and a ping pong table and a craft table and lots of kids to have fun with. Drew sang tons while Claire played the piano. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Friday night I made some Pillsbury snowman Christmas cookies for a snack while the kids and I vegged on the couch watching Skyrunner (about a boy who gets visited by a UFO and aliens try to get him and he hits puberty because of it) It was great fun. I also bought a package of Pillsbury Gingerbread dough and I have a cut out and bought some frosting. The kids were reminiscing this morning about making Christmas cookies with Grandma Maxwell last year. Lots was different about last year. For one, we already had snow. Tomorrow is the last day of Novemeber and I think it's been something like 50 years or so without snow in November. I just would like to have a white Christmas though. Who wouldn't?
In Sunday school we're getting ready for our pageant which is on the 14th. next week is rehearsal. The kids will also have a concert at school that we are all looking forward to. We'll do some traditional things like make gingerbread houses out of milk cartons with graham crackers. I suppose we'll have to find time to do a family picture too. I doubt the Christmas letter will get out in time. In fact, I'm sure of it but when does it ever?
I've got to go now and fish out my little girl who is having fun in the tub in her swim suit with about 20 Barbies. I'm sure she's grown a fin or two by this time.

A Canadian Parade

You don't see this at the Fiesta Bowl parade that's for sure!

For the past 3 years we've gone to the Toronto Santa Claus parade. However, it falls on a Sunday so it's sort of hard with Drew being a Deacon and all to get away on a Sunday. So when Jason told us he was going to be singing on a float in the Oakville parade we jumped at the chance. The parade was at 9 am which meant leaving a bit after 7 since its about an hour away. Drew went early though and set up chairs. The weather was pretty warm so it was fantastic! Afterwards we took a walk on the Lakeshore and played at the park and then ate lunch at Lick's. It's a burger/ice cream shop and made me miss In N Out.

You also don't see this much at a Santa Claus parade either.

The Fall Dance

The fall dance at church was last weekend. It was a chance to get a new LBD (Little black dress which I did not own), my hair done, and some bling jewels. I'm not sure why all our pics happen to be in someone else's home in front of their fireplace. The wedding photo of my sister and brother in law is a nice touch though don't you think? Mazie did not go to the dance but she wanted to pose with us in her beautiful gown. I am glad she likes this gown. My mom made me this blanket when I was about her age and it is my "blankie."

For those who asked...

Drew was at the clinic with Jason because he hurt his foot while playing soccer. He is at this moment at the physical therapists. Anyway,

I thought I'd share some photos of our Halloween. It was cold and windy and the kids didn't spend too much time trick or treating. I don't think I should buy costumes if they only go to the end of the street and back. then again, if Leo had a bladder bigger than a walnut he wouldn't have had to turn home. They had more fun watching the boys do the haunted house. I think the boys had the most fun though.

There isn't much else to update about. The kids school was on the news. Apparently 11% of students and teachers were out so they put it on the news. Must be a slow day or maybe they are just sensationalizing the H1N1 outbreak. We're good so far. Due to the 6 hour wait it takes to get a shot we've decided to forego it at the moment. We might just not do it at all.

I've moved bedtime to 8 which was a good move with it being daylight savings and all. Plus, the kids get so irritable at that time and I can't take it any longer. They need more sleep and so do I. The other night Mazie woke at 1:30 and so I spent some time in her bed. I tried to secretly sneak back to mine but she caught me and ended up in my bed. She kept talking so we moved to the living room. She got the couch and I was on the floor. How that happened I'm not sure. I thought tv would distract her. By 6 I suggested we turn it off and get some sleep. At 6:30 Drew woke me up. I barely got through the day at work. Mazie seemed to do just fine at school which leads me to believe she must have been sleep walking the entire time. No wonder she made no sense. Then last night I woke many times to pee. Needless to say, I'm exhausted.

Work is going great except for the fact that the FBI rejected my prints. I had to get them redone and I'm sure I'll have to wait another 6 weeks or so before I get cleared. What can you do? Drew is busy with work. Seems to be a full time job though. The fall dance is this weekend. I bought a new dress (It was a $40 steal!) and some new bling which is so out of character for me but Paige talked me into it. I can't wait. I'll be sure to post some pics. Drew will have to wear his same old outfit - clerical collar. I wonder which color shirt he'll wear? Poor Drew. He really likes to dress up and now he never can.

I lost about 6 lbs on my diet but who ever wants to hear about that. I have to admit though that as it gets colder, it's getting harder for me to do the walking thing. Don't anyone dare suggest I join a gym. Not gonna happen folks. It's also getting harder to go at work as my schedule begins to fill up but I'm going to keep trying.

Trouble in Paradise

Tonight's dinner will consist of the lunch I packed for Leo that he never ate. Why you wonder? Well, some girls were teasing him calling his sister a weirdo and he lost his temper and punched her in the nose! Woo-hoo. Uh, oops, I mean "shame on him." He told us that he made her nose bleed and she had to go home. However, we don't really knwo the real story yet. No note was sent home and we received no phone call so I am not sure how severe this actuallywas. He said he apologized to her and we'll have him write her a letter. For now though, he's eating his lunch since he says he was too upset to eat. He then confided that this is one of the girls who follows him around all the time calling him cutie. I told him that if he is bothered by this he needs to tell the teacher. I can see how this would get old and one could get frustrated. I suppose this is only the beginning of his troubles with girls.

In other news, Drew got got his visitor's record finally. It clearly states on it however that he is forbidden from both working and going to school. He was at his wits end and traveling a roller coaster of emotions today. He called them to state the obvious - he wants this record so he can work as a clergy while also going to school. They assured him it was fine. There is nothing in writing though. In the end though, he has a SIN (SSN) and can now finally get paid.

We've decided we might get the H1N1 vaccine after all. A healthy 13 year old boy collapsed and died on Sunday and they have confirmed it was from the H1N1. We've been against it all along but I guess the media hype is getting to us. It is sort of like wearing a seatbelt. I always do because I worry if I get in an accident they'll say I deserved it if I wasn't wearing my seat belt. Will people say this if I die from H1N1 and it was preventable? And what about my kids? I could never live with myself. Anyone have any other input? I haven't heard one single medical professional say anything bad about it. I've never gotten a flu shot in my life so this is big.

I've gotta run to finish the sloppy joes. There wasn't enough old salami sandwich for the entire family.

What to do with Mazie Mazie Moo?

Yesterday I took her to the grocery store - actually we were there to get her glasses fixed - and she pulls out the cell phone that her Aunt Paige let her have. She proceeds to walk through the store and have a conversation. It all sounded so real too. The phone doesn't work. I was disturbed but chuckling at the same time. I can only imagine what people thought of me letting my 5 year old have a cell phone.

Today Drew tells me while they were at the clinic with Jason she was browsing through a magazine and came across a picture of a woman golfer in a pink shirt and says, "hm, I wonder if she is suffering from breast cancer." Drew explains that the pink is to show you support research to find a cure and she turns the page and there is a pink car and she says, "I wonder if the person who drives that car is suffering from breast cancer."

Tonight in the bath tub she was making me a guava smoothie. I am not sure how she knows about guava but even more puzzling was the way she was making it just as if it were a martini! Where has she seen someone make a martini?!

Frozen Solid!

Can I just share how mad I am right now? I just had a brownie (yeah, it's not on my diet so what?!) and I wanted a glass of milk really really bad. Well, it's frozen solid. (I had a few cuss words in there that I took out for the sake of my mother.) I am so mad! Why can't we just have a fridge that works right where half the food on the back of the shelf doesn't freeze and ruin all the time?! Is that too much to ask. Oh , and apparently a landlord that shows up whenever he pleases and then tracks dog poop all through the house?